Red, White and Black: A Guide on Canadian Players to Watch at 2017 World Under-17 Challenge

Defenceman Kaedan Korczak, the first overall pick at the 2016 WHL Bantam
Draft, has already made his mark on Team Black early in the World
Under-17 Hockey Challenge. (Matthew Murnaghan / Hockey Canada Images)

You’d be hard pressed to find a Canadian NHL star who didn’t get
their start on the international stage through the World Under-17 Hockey
Challenge.

Whether it’s Connor McDavid, Steven Stamkos or PK Subban, the list of
players who have gone on to greatness after playing in the tournament
is endless.

This year’s tournament is happening this week in Dawson Creek and
Fort St. John, BC and we’ve assembled just a few players to look out for
on each of the three Canadian squads.

Team Canada Red

The red team is stacked up front with first overall picks from all three major junior leagues.

There’s Alexis Lafrenière (Rimouski Océanic), who started off the
tournament with a goal and an assist in a 4-2 loss to Finland, Peyton
Krebs (Kootenay Ice), who also scored in the game and Ryan Suzuki
(Barrie Colts), who could be just as promising as his older brother
Nick, a first-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Draft.

The younger Suzuki led Team Red with a goal and two assists in a 7-2 win over Sweden.

All aforementioned players have been important pieces for their
respective clubs already. Lafrenière’s speed, vision and hands have
already translated well to the QMJHL, as evidenced by his 17 points
(seven goals and 10 assists) in 14 games.

Krebs was called up for a short stint with the Ice last year and
scored six points in as many games and is just under the point per game
mark with 13 in 15 games this year. Suzuki is on a similar pace with 11
points in 14 games.

Team Canada White

Graeme Clarke has helped the Ottawa 67’s right away with five goals relatively early in the season.

He has shown all the tools of a potential leading goal scorer in the
OHL and those skills should bode well for him now that he’s playing
exclusively against players in his own age group.

Also on the white roster is QMJHL sixth overall pick Nathan Légaré
(Baie-Comeau Drakkar), who picked up a goal and an assist in Team
White's second game of the tournament, a 4-3 overtime loss to the United
States.

He’s had a slow start to his junior career with just a single goal
through 15 games, but he’s a big kid and it’s expected he’ll add to his
6-foot, 196-pound frame as time goes on.

From the WHL, eyes could be on Connor Bouchard (Tri-City Americans),
the diminutive forward who wasn’t drafted until the eighth round in
2016, but has been a nice addition to the Americans so far.

Standing in at only 5-foot-6 and roughly 155 pounds, he has fit into
the WHL nicely, registering five points, including two goals in 12 games
and picked up an assist in a loss to the States.

Team Canada Black

Sure, Jamieson Rees (Sarnia Sting) is only a rookie, but that hasn’t
stopped his club coach Derian Hatcher from throwing him into the fire.

Lately, Rees has been plugged in on the top line with OHL leading
scorer Jordan Kyrou and Drake Rymsha and the rookie has registered eight
points (two goals and six assists) in as many games for a team that
started the season 15-1.

Team Black should also benefit from Alex Beaucage (Rouyn-Noranda
Huskies), the Huskies’ second-round pick who has an impressive 10 points
(two goals and eight assists) in 16 games.

On the back end, Kaedan Korczak (Kelowna Rockets), can be relied on
to play in all situations. Kelowna’s first-round pick in the 2016 WHL
Draft is a big, all-around solid defender who skates well.

These three players all contributed on the only goal in Team Black’s
1-0 tournament opening win over Team White. Beaucage picked up the goal
in that tilt and added a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win over the Czech
Republic while Rees added a goal in that game.

In goal, Roman Basran (Okanagan, BCMML) and Nolan Maier (Yorkton, SJHL) each have a shutout to their credit.

Also of note: Two HockeyNow Minor Hockey Players of the Year are in
action this week and one of them is playing for the red, white and blue.

Jack Hughes, an electrifying prospect for the 2019 NHL Draft, has a
tournament leading five points (three goals and two assists) in two
games for the undefeated Americans.

Born and raised in the United States until he was five, Hughes and
his family moved to the GTA and he garnered a lot of attention as a star
with the Mississauga Rebels and Toronto Marlies.

Team Red also has a HockeyNow Player of the Year on the roster, 2016 winner Bowen Byram (Vancouver Giants).

He hasn’t shown many problems adjusting to the WHL with nine points
(a goal and eight assists) and a plus-six rating in 15 games to start
his career.

Established in 1999, HockeyNow is the only magazine delivering the best in news and stories from across the minor, junior, collegiate and female hockey ranks, both in print and through our world-class website at HockeyNow.ca. Print copies of our 43 annual issues are available free in hockey rinks across B.C., Alberta, and Ontario. We are deeply involved and committed to developing and promoting the game of hockey to our readers through unique perspectives and stories they won’t find anywhere else. See more...